Have you ever been arrested? I hesitate to make this confession but there was that one time. When I was in junior high in Germany, they released us early from school because of snow. We waited for our father to get off work to take us home, about 11 miles away. My brothers and friends and I played football in the snow. Then we threw snowballs at each other. Then someone thought it would be a good idea to throw snowballs at cars passing by. Soon we heard sirens, then we saw Shepherds (German Shepherds), then flashlights and police. Truthfully, we would have preferred to stay at the Military Police station instead of face our dad. That’s my story.
Jesus was arrested on the night before his crucifixion. In fact, they tried to arrest him earlier. The leaders of the Temple had their own police force. One day when Jesus was in the city offering the water of life to others, they sent the Temple guard to arrest him. It would not have been hard to do, if only the guards had not listened to what he said. Eventually, they returned to the Temple without him.
Furiously, the Temple leaders asked, “Why didn’t you arrest him?” “He arrested us,” they explained, “with his words. We have heard you guys preach, but we never heard anyone preach like that.” Have you been arrested by the Word made flesh, Jesus? If you have, there is no shame.
